فَأَدَّيْتُand I paidعَنِّيon my behalfمَاwhatاسْتَعَرْتُI borrowedمِنَfromالصِّبَاyouthوَلِلْمَالِand for wealthمِنِّيfrom meالْيَوْمَtodayرَاعٍa shepherdوَكَاسِبٌand earner
And I paid on my behalf what I borrowed from youth, and today I am a shepherd and earner of wealth.
وَقَالَand saidابْنُson ofالذِّئْبَةِthe she-wolfالثَّقَفِيُّ1ath-Thaqafi
And Ibn adh-Dhi'bah ath-Thaqafi said:
أَطَعْتُI obeyedالنَّفْسَthe soulفِيinالشَّهَوَاتِthe desiresحَتَّىuntilأَعَادَتْنِيit made meعَسِيفًاa hired servantعِنْدَatعَبْدٍ2a slave
I obeyed the soul in desires until it made me a hired servant at the service of a slave.
إِذَاwhenمَاindeedجِئْتُهَاI came to herقَدْalreadyبِعْتُI soldعِذْقًاa palm branchتُعَانِقُshe embracesأَوْorتُقَبِّلُshe kissesأَوْorتَفَدِّي3she ransoms
When I come to her, I have sold a palm branch that she embraces, kisses, or ransoms.
فَمَنْso whoeverوَجَدَfindsالْغِنَىwealthفَلْيَصْطَنِعْهُlet him preserve itذَخِيرَتَهُas his treasureوَيَجْهَدْand let him striveكُلَّeveryجَهْدٍ4effort
So whoever finds wealth, let him preserve it as his treasure and strive with every effort.
وَقَالَand he said
And he said:
مَنْwhoeverيَجْمَعُgathersالْمَالَwealthوَلَاand does notيُثَبِّبْstrengthen (himself) with itبِهِwith itوَيَتْرُكُand leavesالْعَامَthe yearلِعَامٍfor a yearجَدْبِهِ5of its drought
Whoever gathers wealth but does not strengthen himself with it and leaves the current year for a drought year, he becomes insignificant to people like the insignificance of his dog.
يَهِنُhe becomes insignificantعَلَىtoالنَّاسِpeopleهَوَانَlike the insignificanceكَلْبِهِof his dog
He becomes insignificant to people like the insignificance of his dog.
وَقَدْand indeedقِيلَit was saidفِيinالْمَثَلِthe proverbالْكَدُّtoilقَبْلَbeforeالْمَدِّ6the sweeping (or the increase)
And indeed it was said in the proverb: "Toil before the increase."
وَقَالَand saidلَقِيطٌLaqeetالْغَزْوُraidingأَدَرُّmore productiveلِلِّقَاحِfor milk camelsوَأَحَدُّand sharperلِلسِّلَاحِ7for weapons
And Laqeet said: "Raiding is more productive for milk camels and sharper for weapons."
وَقَالَand saidابْنُson ofالْمُعَافَىal-Mu'afa
And Ibn al-Mu'afa said:
إِنَّindeedالتَّوَانِيَlazinessأَنْكَحَmarriedالْعَجْزَinabilityبِنْتَهُhis daughterوَسَاقَand broughtإِلَيْهَاto herحِينَwhenزَوَّجَهَاhe married herمَهْرًاa dowry
Indeed laziness married inability his daughter, and he brought to her, when he married her, a dowry:
فِرَاشًاa bedوَطِيئًاsoftثُمَّthenقَالَhe saidلَهَاto herاتَّكِيreclineفَقَصَّرْso be short (i.e., fall short)كَمَاjust asلَاnotبُدَّinevitableأَنْthatتَلِدَاshe gives birth toالْفَقْرَاpoverty
A soft bed, then he said to her: Recline, so be short, as it is inevitable that she give birth to poverty.
وَقَالَand saidعُثْمَانُUthmanبْنُson ofأَبِيAbuالْعَاصِ8al-As
And Uthman ibn Abi al-As said:
سَاعَةٌan hourلِدُنْيَاكَfor your worldوَسَاعَةٌand an hourلِآخِرَتِكَfor your afterlife
An hour for your world, and an hour for your afterlife.
وَقَالَand saidرَسُولُMessengerاللَّهِof Allahصَلَّىmay he be blessedاللَّهُAllahعَلَيْهِupon himوَسَلَّمَand peace
And the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
إِيَّاكُمْbeware ofعَنْofقِيلَsayingوَقَالَand saying (i.e., gossip)وَكَثْرَةِand muchالسُّؤَالِaskingوَإِضَاعَةِand wastingالْمَالِwealth
Beware of gossip, excessive questioning, and wasting wealth.
Footnotes
- 1.ابْنُ الذِّئْبَةِ الثَّقَفِيُّ: شَاعِرٌ جَاهِلِيٌّ مِنْ ثَقِيفٍ.
Ibn adh-Dhi'bah ath-Thaqafi: a pre-Islamic poet from Thaqif.
- 2.عَسِيفًا: أَجِيرًا.
A hired servant.
- 3.تَفَدِّي: تَفْتَدِي بِالْمَالِ.
She ransoms with wealth.
- 4.فَلْيَصْطَنِعْهُ: فَلْيَتَّخِذْهُ.
Let him acquire it.
- 5.يُثَبِّبْ بِهِ: يُقَوِّ عَلَيْهِ.
Strengthen himself with it.
- 6.الْكَدُّ قَبْلَ الْمَدِّ: أَيِ الْعَمَلُ قَبْلَ الرَّاحَةِ.
Toil before increase: i.e., work before rest.
- 7.الْغَزْوُ أَدَرُّ لِلِّقَاحِ: أَيْ أَكْثَرُ لِلَبَنِ الْإِبِلِ.
Raiding is more productive for milk camels: i.e., increases the milk of camels.
- 8.عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي الْعَاصِ: صَحَابِيٌّ.
Uthman ibn Abi al-As: a companion of the Prophet.